Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Movie Reviews

Bandish Bandits review: A melodious treat

Amazon Prime Video’s latest original Bandish Bandits directed by Anand Tiwari stars Naseeruddin Shah, Shreya Chaudhry and Ritwik Bhowmik

Published

on

bandish-bandits-review
Bandish Bandits

Bandish Bandits

Creators: Amritpal Singh Bindra, Anand Tiwari

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Shreya Chaudhry, Ritwik Bhowmik

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video have been upping their game in Indian original series as compared to their leading counterparts Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Zee5. They have produced some of the finest and loved series in last couple of years; Inside Edge, Mirzapur, The Family Man, Made In Heaven, Panchayat, and Paatal Lok to name a few. Their latest offering Bandish Bandits that dropped in August is a much needed break from the crime dramas/thrillers that fill up most OTT platforms these days.

Bandish Bandits is created by Amritpal Singh Bindra and Anand Tiwari who were one of the first creators in the Indian OTT scene. Their latest product Bandish Bandits tells a story of a singing prodigy Radhe Rathod (Ritwik Bhowmik) from classical gharana and a pop sensation Tamanna Sharma (Shreya Chaudhry). Radhe’s world turns upside down when he falls in love with Tamanna. He’s caught between supporting his love and staying true to his own music and his family’s legacy.

Also read: Class of 83 review: Interesting but lacks adrenaline

The lead couple (Ritwik & Shreya) here is affable and their chemistry feels natural. The contrast between their personalities brings out a fresh on-screen romance. Shreya has a natural spunk and Ritwik doesn’t seem to be just lip-syncing to the songs during his riyaz and singing sequences. The last I remember someone doing it better rather best (that I have seen) was Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar.

Naseeruddin Shah plays Panditji, an aging musical maestro of Jodhpur and Radhe’s grandfather. It’s a delight to see this acting maestro play a singing maestro, keeping secrets of his own behind his legacy. These three are ably supported by Rahul Kumar, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang, Amit Mistry, and Atul Kulkarni. Kunal Roy Kapur plays his usual funny self. Some kickass dialogue helps him not become monotonous. All the characters here have layers. That’s the beauty of long format storytelling. You wouldn’t see the nuances and problems of supporting characters in a feature length film.

Also read: Masaba Masaba review: Funny and breezy mother-daughter story

A musical such as Bandish Bandits needs the grandeur and heritage Jodhpur provides it perfectly. Swapnali Das’ production design and Sriram Ganapathy’s cinematography give the series a vibrant, colorful and soothing look and feel. Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s music is soulful. The singing and riyaz sequences in the series are its best assets (a must for a musical). Long format allows you to be indulgent and creators here make full use of that. The writers Bindra, Tiwari, Lara Chandni, and Adhir Bhat give each character their space, voice and time.

At 10 episodes with an average duration of 40 minutes, Bandish Bandits may seem to be a stretch in some episodes. My favorite episode was the second one titled Shuddhikaran which chronicles the penance of Radhe to be eligible for Ganda Bandhan (threading ceremony). I divided my viewing of this series in couple of days. Turned out to be a melodious treat.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
>